Musings and Photos about Life and Real Estate Development in Post-Industrial Brooklyn and New York City

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

New Look Gowanus Will Not Be Like the Old One

The rendering upon which you are gazing? It's a building designed by the prolific Karl Fischer Architect. We came across it in the course of checking out yesterday's Brownstoner post about Mr. Fischer's design for a new hotel at 237 Duffield Street. While plans are currently in a state of rejection at the Department of Buildings, this building, or something very similar to it could soon rise at 399 Third Avenue, which is at the corner of Third Avenue and Sixth Street, next to the building with the big Eagle Clothes sign that is a Gowanus landmark. More significantly, it's basically down the block from the Gowanus Whole Foods site. The building is described as an 11-story commercial and "community facility" and would clock in at 70,000+ square feet. (Accept our apologies if you've seen this before, but it's certainly new to us.)

If you look closely at the reflection in the window of the rendering, you'll note that it's a big building, although none currently exist on the spot from where the reflection would be coming. (Wishful thinking? Intelligent guess?) Also, note the presence in the rendering of people in jackets and ties at Third Avenue and Sixth Street.

The developer of the Glass Tower of Gowanus is Dominic Tonnachio. If the name is familiar, that is because he is the developer of the new Hotel Le Bleu as well as a condo on Fourth Avenue and Warren Street. Demolition permits have been issued for the existing property, which has one small building, but the plans for the new building were disapproved on Aug. 14 by the Dept. of Buildings. We suspect it's only a temporary setback.

The good news: the views of the Gowanus, the F Train and Whole Foods--especially of the parade of trucks delivering and unloading food--should be dramatic.